Philosophy

Is trying to transcend pain a pointless activity?

And it seems like a popular one — if the proliferation of increasingly specific painkillers and the popularity of movements like effective altruism is anything to go by.

We don't need to be neuroscientists to understand why: pain hurts.

But as Clemson philosophy Professor Todd May suggests, perhaps we need to ask ourselves whether we would genuinely like to be rid of certain sorts of pain.